I was checking out some of my favorite blogs and found a great recipe for spaghetti squash on chocolate and zucchinis blog with links to other blogs and on one of these (http://verysmallanna.com/) I found a recipe for macaroons (or macarons depending on where you live). So instead of doing spaghetti squash (promise to do so later), I am going to do a piece on macaroons that involves amongst other things, lunch with friends and the French gendarmes / police…

Before I go any further I must just point out that the word macaron has been anglicized to macaroon, but it is not the same as the meringue type macaroon made with coconut or coarse almond paste, even if they do share the same name. To quote Wikipedia yet again, macarons were served at the Versailles Court in Paris and in the 1830s macarons were served two-by-two with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices. The double-decker macaron filled with cream that is popular today was invented by the French pâtisserie Ladurée.

And even more importantly, Charlotte was arranging them at the singles dinner when Harry proposed to her, so there. Charlotte of Sex and the City, Charlotte. Like I had to tell you that…

Macaroons are very fashionable in France at the moment and are often given as gifts. Sam (who has a bathtub full of spaghetti squash so she won’t be pleased I changed my mind…) got given a box by her sister-in-law, Beranger, who in turn had bought them at the best macaron baker in Paris, and apparently also the whole of France. Each one had a completely different flavor, and although I prefer chocolate if I am to eat sweet stuff, the caramel ones were to die for.

Macaroons are also a popular side with your cup of coffee after a meal and it was one of the SIX desserts that we were served when we had lunch with Michelle and Laurent after getting back from our holiday at the end of September. Sorry M&L that I have taken two months to say thank you and to tell the world about your superb meal and FANTASTIC dessert plate. I will share some of the other delicacies we had with you another time, but for today we concentrate on macaroons.

Which is actually ridiculous as they were the smallest item on the plate and I should rather tell you about the other delicacies, but seeing as I am the one penning this page, you shall just have to take a deep breath and bear with me! As you can see in the photo, the macaroon is behind the coffee glass and the plate is laden with interesting goodies. There was Mousse au Chocolat, a cupcake with proper American topping (Michelle found the recipe online and went to a lot of trouble to make us to this calorific treat!), a small chestnut lemon curd tart (will get it’s own blog), choucroutes (not sure of the spelling, but they are mini puffed up pastry thingies which are delicious), mini trifles…all so lovely it was almost a shame to eat it. But only almost…

We met M&L at (the much loved) Deirdre’s house in February. What can I say, it takes me a while to get round to things, but I like to keep with the saying, “all good things take time” (yes,yes, I know it’s actually “all things in good time” – have you forgotten whose writing this blog?!). Something else I have heard is that it is difficult to know who to invite with a policeman as people are worried that he has not gone outside for a smoke, but to check the depth of ones tire (tyre) profile. I HAVE NO FEAR! There is no tread on my tires to measure. Just kidding Laurent…

Michelle is an English teacher and Laurent is a decorated Gendarme (both French) and they invited a mixed buffet of nationalities to the lovely lunch we had in their garden. We were South African, German, Irish, Zambian, Scottish, English (hi Rodger), French – and we all got along famously much helped by Laurent’s heavy handed drink pouring. Us foreigners don’t drink sensibly like the French – we lug it back, thank you very much!

I am adding a second photo of Joerg’s dessert plate as you can see the purple macaron more clearly than in the other photo, but the quality of the photo is not as good so it is right here at the end. And as always, the recipe is right here at the end, only this time it is a link to another site as this person has done such a fine job, there’s no need for me to do it too. Enjoy and keep coming back to visit me and my friends right here at A cook on the funny side. Lol Crystal

I am literally drooling over all the decadent items you've featured in your photos, plus macaroons have to be one of my favorite cookies ever. What an incredible dining experience, en plein air and all. It looks amazing. I've never made macaroons they look a bit intimidating, but I am determined to change that. Still trying to figure out the "feet" reference to making them that I see the bloggers referring to.

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